Polished or Chromed?

[Daddy Long Stroke]

Hand polish a full set of polished CCW's a few times, and then see what you buy the next time you get some wheels.....

If you have the time and patience, polished wheels look absolutely killer.

However, I'm older now, and 3 hours of polishing is no longer fun to me.

A vote for chrome here.

 

[ViperGeorge]

Chrome for sure. Hot brake dust on the track eats into the clear coat on the polished wheels. Washes off way easier on chrome wheels.

 

[99VPRGTS]

I'm going to vote chrome also. I had chrome wheels on my Vette for years and they didn't have one flake or peel and cleaned up much easier than a polished set of rims. I also cleaned them 2 times a week (car was a daily) and ONLY used a very mild soap and warm water. NO CHEMICALS!

Another thing to think about, lets say you get your rims re-chromed every 5 years. I just had my CCW's done and it was about $800 for the wheels and centercaps. Four year warranty. If you use good quality polishes (you drive a VIPER so this should be a given) on your polished rims, you will end up spending a few hundred bucks on the rims over a period of 5 years if you figure in polish, compound, buffing rags, towels, or applicators.

I do agree that if you are tracking your car, chrome would not be my choice for that and that you need to have a spare set of wheels.

 

[99 R/T 10]

How about these brand new chrome rims:

Brand new Iforged Wheels, still in the box - ViperClub Classifieds

 

[ViperJames]

I have toyed with this idea over the past many years of having different cars. If your car is going to ALWAYS be clean and you enjoy detailing, going to car shows etc. than I think the chrome is the way to go. If you keep them clean and a lot of GOOD product on them (like SimiChrome) they will not pit, unless its a crap chrome job, which on expensive Viper wheels should hopefully not be. If your car is more of a driver and you are not the detailing kind of guy, go with the polished... Either way new rims are going to look GREAT!

 

[jojogts]

I have never seen a set of polished wheels more than a year old that did not show some wear. Either water spots, pits, or some sort of difference in how shinny certain spots were. Chrome is heavier but is far easier to take care of and if your not driving your car in the winter they should last for alot of years. No way would I ever, Never, I mean ever own another set of polished wheels!!!

 

[ZDigital1]

I have never seen a set of polished wheels more than a year old that did not show some wear. Either water spots, pits, or some sort of difference in how shinny certain spots were. Chrome is heavier but is far easier to take care of and if your not driving your car in the winter they should last for alot of years. No way would I ever, Never, I mean ever own another set of polished wheels!!!

Kudos!!

 

[GTS Bruce]

Chrome: Crude, garish, rude but great on a 1950's car. GTS Bruce